The invention is especially, though not necessarily, used on a tag axle assembly. The torque beam arrangement and the lift beam arrangement taken separately are generally similar to such arrangements in prior art. One of each was attached on each side of the vehicle.
Formerly the torque beam arrangement and lift beam arrangement had to be separately handled and separately mounted on the vehicle. This involved welding and drilling for the lift beam underneath the vehicle and some distance inside the location for the torque beam. The hydraulic connections had to be conducted to well under the vehicle.
In the old set-up, the torque beam arrangement was separately attached outside the lift beam arrangement, they being handled separately, drilled and welded separately, and maintained far enough apart to enable them to be applied and worked upon.
With the present arrangement, only a single bracket requiring only a single operation of drilling and welding for attachment to the vehicle, is required. This saves material and labor. The installation can largely be done without having to work underneath the vehicle.
The means depending from the bracket to receive the torque beam and the lift beam are side by side, so that three depending sets can take the two beams, instead of two sets for each beam. The parts are designed so that each beam structure is accessible for servicing. The compact arrangement adds strength to the suspension. Also by having the beams side-by-side, instead of one below the other, road clearance is improved.
The hydraulic motor in this suspension is given good road clearance, and yet can be serviced from beside the vehicle. The design affords ample piston stroke.
A valuable feature is that the suspension can be sold as a kit to be mounted on a vehicle. The kit can comprise the unitary bracket means for both beams, the axle connections for both beams, and the hydraulic motor, all in one sub-assembly. The spring and shackle can be a second sub-assembly, and the controls a third. This simplifies the mounting of the suspension.
Other features will appear from the following.